Silhouette (Part One)

Chapter 3

I laid down on the big gray bed and pulled off the beanie. Maybe it wasn't so hard, but I almost fell, I don't remember how many times. It was more of an adrenaline rush than any roller coaster I have ever been on.

The reflective strips velcroed to my black clothing shined into my eyes, so I yanked them off with a loud rip. My heart was still racing, but beginning to calm. I'm sure my pulse right now would make any Olympic runner scared. Silver still wasn't back yet and he'd left the info laying on the table.

Don't go over it again. It will only make things worse.

I walked over and sifted through it once more before picking it all into one pile. How nice of them to give us metal trash cans in the room. I pulled out my lighter I always keep with me and was about to light the edge on fire. A slip of paper wiggled out and drifted to the carpet. I stared at it in disbelief.

Why? Why did you do that?

I set the stack on the dresser next to me and knelt down to retrieve the paper. As I stood back up a phrase caught my eye. The Collective.

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My father stood at the kitchen island with my mother on the other side. Tears crept from her eyes as they argued over something. Neither one was shouting, but something was wrong.

"This is the last time I can disregard them. They were very clear. 'Disobey and you and your family will disappear.'." My fathers deep voice was strained.

"We could disappear, but not the way they want us too. We go somewhere else and change our names. They won't find us." Her sweet voice was on the edge of breaking.

"But they will. They always do. I never should have gotten mixed up in this. I put us all in danger, and for what? Success?" He hid his face in his hands and rested his elbows on the counter top. "The Collective will not want loose ends if we run." His muffled voice barely reached me, so I tried to shuffle closer.

He must have heard me, because he lifted his head and looked straight at me. "Hey bud, what are you doing?"

"I heard you and mom talking, I wanted to know what you were talking about." My small high voice ringing through the clean kitchen. I moved out of the doorway I was peeking around and into full view. "Are we really going to move somewhere else?"

He moved over to me and heaved me up into his large arms. Strong, safe. "Maybe, Mommy and I haven't decided yet." His brown eyes looked straight into mine. He tried, but he couldn't mask the fear that burned in them.

"Are the bad people going to hurt us?" I clearly surprised him with this question. Mom had finished wiping away the tears and replied instead of dad.

"No, we will never let anything happen. You are completely safe." She smiled to try to emphasize her statement, but even she couldn't hide the same fear that was in Dad's eyes with a smile.

"Ok." They seemed satisfied and Dad set me back on the floor. "I'm gonna go play with my toys now."

I snapped back to reality and hastily gathered the papers. Wasting no time, I threw the packet into the trash bin, crumpled up a paper and lit it. Dropping it, I stepped back and watched the flames grow and devour the information of a dead man. Dead friend.

Silver burst through the door just as the fire turned to embers. "Pack everything. We leave tonight." He didn't wait for an answer. This was non-negotiable. Chances are he got noticed and the police would be swarming this place within the hour, or another fellow bounty hunter found him. We bounty hunters also have bounties on our heads. We kill people for a living. It tends to make enemies.